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What is a service mark?

Senior Trademark Attorney

A service mark (℠) is a trademark that identifies the source of a service, i.e., the brand offering a service rather than a physical product. Like the ™ symbol, it can be used before full trademark registration is complete, and it's often used to signify that a brand is undergoing the trademark registration process.

The ℠ symbol is less common than ™ and most prevalent in the United States. Outside the US, the ™ symbol typically serves the same purpose for both goods and services.

Once a service mark is successfully registered with an IP office, the ℠ or ™ symbol is replaced by ®, indicating full registered trademark status.

Related questions

How to protect a Mobile App with a Trademark?

People all over the world are using smartphones and tablets. As mobile app usage grows in popularity, the number of app downloads worldwide increases as well. The global mobile application market size was estimated at USD 187.58 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 206.73 billion in 2022[1]. The trend shows that more and more people prefer to use mobile devices over the traditional system, which means more businesses are transitioning their services to mobile-first software solutions. Trademark registration offers an effective mechanism for protecting the uniqueness of this vital asset of any business, including mobile apps.

How long does it take to register a trademark?

We have looked into the last 1,000 trademarks registered in main intellectual property offices, including USPTO (United States), UKIPO (United Kingdom), EUIPO (European Union), CNIPA (China), CIPO (Canada), ROSPATENT (Russia), IPA (Australia), BOIP (Benelux), IGE-IPI (Switzerland), NIPO (Norway), KIPO (Republic of Korea), and CGPDTM (India), exploring the average time it takes for a trademark to be registered in the selected jurisdictions.

When should I register my trademark?

Timing is everything, and this is especially true when it comes to trademark registration. Choosing to trademark your brand at the right time is much more important than you would think.